Symptoms And Treatment Of Alzheimer s Disease And Dementia

In general, each neuron releases a single type of neurotransmitter. Neurons that release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine are called cholinergic neurons and degeneration of cholinergic neurons in the brain are associated with Alzheimer’s (Sherwood). Drugs classified as short-term cholinesterase inhibitors are used to treat Alzheimer’s because the drugs prolong the effect of acetylcholine. There are special cells called microglia that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease as well. Microglia are immune defense cells in the CNS (central nervous system) or brain and spinal cord. The remove foreign and degenerate material in the CNS. Overactive microglia appear to be involved in a variety of inflammation-related disorders like Alzheimer’s (Sherwood). Inflammation is triggered by the body’s immune system and is a factor that plays in the progression of the disease (Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia). Alzheimer’s causes nerve cell death and t issue loss throughout the brain. This causes the brain to shrink dramatically and affects almost all of its functions (Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia). There is a loss of connections among brain cells responsible for memory, learning, and communication. The main portion of the brain called the cerebral cortex shrivels up. This part of the brain is involved with thinking, planning, and remembering which makes sense since patients with the disease show symptoms involved with these actions. The hippocampus is another are of the cortex that worksShow MoreRelatedAlzheimer s Disease : Symptoms And Treatment Of Dementia1482 Words   |  6 Pagesolder will be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. There is other subsets of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease being one of the most well known. With the skyrocketing increase of individuals suffering from dementia will come the need for more intervention and prevention projects to help the number of individuals suffering from all fo rms of dementia. 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